DWP Christmas Bonus 2026: Who gets the £10 payment and when is it paid?

Christmas is expensive time of year so every bit of extra cash is welcome for households splashing out on gifts and celebrations.

Happily, millions of people receiving the State Pension and other benefits will receive a budget boost with the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Christmas Bonus in 2026.

The one-off, tax-free payment is worth £10 and is designed to provide a little extra money towards the cost of Christmas.

The cash is paid automatically to anyone eligible so you don't need to make a separate claim.

Here is who can get the £10 Christmas Bonus, when to expect it and what to do if the money does not arrive.

When will the DWP 2026 Christmas Bonus be paid?

The Christmas Bonus is normally paid before Christmas, with the qualifying week usually falling in the first full week of December.

In 2026, the first full Monday-to-Sunday week of December runs from 7 to 13 December.

However, the DWP has not yet confirmed the exact payment dates for this year's bonus, so claimants should not assume the money will arrive on a particular day.

The payment is made automatically into the account used for your usual benefit or pension payments.

Eligibility for the £10 Christmas Bonus 2026 payment

To qualify for the DWP Christmas Bonus payment you need to be resident in the UK during the qualifying week.

Plus, you will also need to be receiving at least one of the following qualifying benefits during that week:

• State Pension, including Graduated Retirement Benefit

• Pension Credit, specifically the guarantee element

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

• Attendance Allowance

• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

• Carer’s Allowance

• Carer Support Payment

• Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), once you have entered the main phase after the first 13 weeks of the claim

• Adult Disability Payment

• Child Disability Payment

• Pension Age Disability Payment

• Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance

• Armed Forces Independence Payment

• Severe Disablement Allowance, where entitlement is protected

• Incapacity Benefit, at the long-term rate

• Constant Attendance Allowance

• Industrial Death Benefit

• Mobility Supplement

• Unemployability Supplement or Allowance

• War Disablement Pension, if you are at State Pension age

• War Widow’s Pension

• Widow’s Pension

• Widowed Mother’s Allowance

• Widowed Parent’s Allowance

Can you get the 2026 Christmas Bonus payment if you claim Universal Credit?

You won't get the Christmas Bonus payment if you only receive Universal Credit.

However, you could still receive the £10 payment if you claim Universal Credit alongside another qualifying benefit, such as PIP, Carer’s Allowance or the State Pension.